Internet Protocol (IP) is a computer network protocol (analogous to written and verbal languages) that all machines on the Internet must know in order to communicate with one another, i.e., IP is a layer 3 (network layer) protocol in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. The vast majority of IP devices support IP version 4 (IPv4) defined in RFC-791, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, and IP version 6 (IPv6) defined in RFC-2460, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Devices relying on IP may be assigned an IP address (e.g., an IPv4 and/or an IPv6 address). The IP address and/or other addresses assigned to the IP and non-IP devices (MAC address, etc.) may be designated as being globally and/or locally unique addresses depending on whether the address is limited to uniquely identify a device on a private or inside network or whether the address is able to uniquely identify the device on the Internet or other global/public network.
A globally unique address may be assigned by a global tracking entity or other regulatory entity responsible for ensuring addresses are assigned to no more than one device. The global tracking entity may make this determination of global uniqueness based on all devices requesting or being allocated addresses for use over the Internet or other global/public network. A locally unique address, in contrast, may be assigned by a network administrator or other device tasked with ensuring addresses uniqueness across a more limited environment, such as over a local or private network that is independent of the Internet or other global/public network for which the globally unique addresses are assigned. Networks relying on locally unique addresses may be referred to as inside networks and the addresses relied upon to communicate over the network may be referred to as insides addresses. Similarly, the Internet or other global/public network may be referred to as outside networks and the addresses relied upon to communicate over the network may be referred to as outside addresses.
Devices connected to an inside network, referred to as inside devices, may rely upon inside addresses when addressing messages for communication with other similarly connected inside devices. The inside devices, however, may require an outside addresses in order to properly communicate with devices connected to the outside network, referred to as outside devices. This may be required since the assigned inside addresses may not uniquely identify the inside devices over the outside network (i.e., in the event the inside address is used by another outside device, messages specifying the inside address and intended for the inside address would be undesirably transmitted to the outside device). The required use of inside and outside addresses can become problematic in some case where there is a possibility that the number of inside addresses may exceed the number of outside address. Accordingly, a need exists to facilitate administration of the outside addresses, and in particular, avoiding consumption of the outside addresses if possible.